Magnetic fasteners provide a useful alternative to conventional mechanical interlocking fasteners and are finding increasing use in many applications.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,606,767 and 6,622,349 of the same inventor discloses a magnetic strap fastener comprising a pair of magnetic fastener parts of opposite polarity. Each of the magnetic fastener part comprises a magnetic housing which embraces a strong magnet slab, a strap attachment means for securing to a strap end, and a stop. The stop is adapted to act against or resist longitudinal separation movement when a separation force is applied on the strap ends. The housing portion surrounding the magnet slab forms a magnetic force concentrator which operates to automatically align the magnetic housing of the counterpart magnetic fastener parts when the fastener parts are in magnetic proximity of each other when the exposed magnetic coupling surfaces are facing each other. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,606,767 and 6,622,349 are incorporated herein by reference.
Magnetic fasteners are advantageous because they are easy to use and provide strong fastening. For example, due to the use of strong magnets and the magnetic concentrating housing, the fastener parts will be automatically and self aligned into the magnetic coupled configuration once the fastener parts are in magnetic proximity to each other. On the other hand, the magnetic fastener parts could be easily detached by relative tilting to move the fastener parts away from magnetic coupling, and followed by subsequent detachment, as described in the above patent publications. Moreover, an array of magnetic buttons can be fastened or released simultaneously, while conventional fasteners such as button assemblies have to be fastened and released sequentially.
In particular, magnetic fasteners are particularly useful in situations where fasteners are required to be done and undone by a single hand and in a short time. Therefore, magnetic fasteners are finding increasing use in brasseries and other clothing items where fasteners are located on the back side.
While magnetic fasteners described in the above patent publications are already advantageous, further improvements are desirable in order to make magnetic fasteners more commercially attractive and/or more user friendly.